ADJUSTING TO YOUR HEARING AIDS & WHAT TO EXPECT
ADJUSTING TO YOUR HEARING AIDS & WHAT TO EXPECT
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How to Adjust To Your New Aids
How to Adjust To Your New Aids
Adaptation to the hearing aid can depend on many factors, such as the degree of the loss, your age and attitude towards change or personality, how long you have had your hearing loss, the performance of the aid, and the advice/ support given by the audiologist/dispenser.
Give yourself a break
Give yourself a break
If it all seems much, take a break but make sure to try again shortly after. Leaving the aid out of the ear may hamper the progress you are making towards adjusting. If you really don't want to wear your hearing aids, remember why you chose to improve your hearing in the 1st place - To improve your brain health, communicate better with your loved ones and have a better quality of life.
If there is something generally putting you off your hearing aids, discuss this with your audiologist to find out if there is anything further they can do.
Journal your experiences
Journal your experiences
Write down the sounds that have changed around you. What you expected vs what you are now hearing. Ask family and friends around you about their experiences with those sounds? Are your experiences comparable?
Try and be consistent
Try and be consistent
The more often you wear your aids, the easier it gets. If learning a new language, you have to speak it often to become fluent. Similarly with hearing, the more you hear, the easier it becomes to appreciate the sounds, identify the sounds and discriminate the sounds.
Attend your appointments with your audiologist regularly.
Attend your appointments with your audiologist regularly.
To ensure that your ear health and hearing aids are always working optimally. Giving you the best hearing experience.
At Sonant Hearing we will schedule routine appointments to check your ear health and hearing aids. Ensuring that you are always hearing as best as possible. We will also program your hearing aids to evidence-based prescription levels that are set to be adjusted at a pace you can manage gradually over time.
The Sound Quality
The Sound Quality
Research (Brooks 1996) and anecdotal evidence seen in the clinic have shown it can take some time for most people to adjust to hearing aids. Generally, the longer one uses their hearing aids daily, the shorter the adaptation time.
The brain has adjusted to muted sound levels for years and will need some time to accept the better quality of sound it is now receiving. While you may find sounds much sharper and crisper than you are used to, You may find you are less fatigued by the end of the day as your listening effort is reduced. The TV volume is reduced and conversations are generally much easier.
Examples of changed sounds
Examples of changed sounds
Plastic bags and papers may seem very sharp. The car indicator is now discernible, the toilet flushing! (Is it meant to be that loud?)
Your footsteps on the carpet or hardwood floor would be more audible and different to what you are accustomed to.
People may even sound like they are "lisping" initially but this sharpness and lisping will eventually fade away.
You can see your audiologist to have sound levels reduced for comfort but often times reduction of the sharpness needed to give clarity could make sounds potentially unclear once again.
The Earmoulds or Domes.
The Earmoulds or Domes.
You may have gone through insertion of your hearing aid and mould or dome with your audiologist, but here are some things to consider with your earmoulds/domes. We also have a video explaining the difference between custom earmoulds and standard hearing aid domes
With Earmoulds
With Earmoulds
Getting used to custom earmoulds can take a few days. Gradually increase the use of your earmoulds by a couple of hours at a time over the first few days. Some find it helpful to put a lubricating cream around the ear-mould (away from the sound outlet) to help ease insertion.
Before insertion
Before insertion
Check that the earmoulds are clean. Any ventilation holes in the custom earmould should not be blocked with wax or any other debris that can affect functionality. If spotted, remove the ear wax carefully with the help of your cleaning tool. i.e. wipes, clean cloth, mini floss-like brush.
How to insert your earmould
How to insert your earmould
Hold the earmould with your thumb and forefinger on the outer edges.
Tilt your hand forward slightly and gently insert the ear-canal part of the earmould into your ear canal, then rotate the rest of the earmould backwards.
While the earmould is in your ear, softly press the earmould all around the edges to check that it is firmly in place.
It might help to practice in front of a mirror (or without a mirror! ) get used to the way it feels when in place properly.
Removal of the earmould.
Removal of the earmould.
Grasp the earmould with your forefinger and thumb then gently rotate your ear and the earmould outwards as your pull it out of your ear.
Maintenance
Maintenance
Clean the earmoulds on a regular basis with a clean soft damp cloth.
Keep your earmoulds in the supplied case, when not in use and away from extremes of heat, moisture and out of direct sunlight.
Soft earmoulds may require replacement about every 18m - 2yrs. Hard earmoulds tend to last a little longer (depending on maintenance practices) but have a steeper adaptation curve (due to the harder texture).
With Domes
With Domes
Getting used to the domes can take a few days. Gradually increase the use of your domes by a couple of hours at a time over the first few days. Some open-type domes can feel itchy initially (due to the fine edges rubbing against the canal wall) as the earcanal gets used to a foreign object within but this eventually settles down.
Insertion into the ear.
Insertion into the ear.
If using domes, your hearing aid user guide would typically have some instructions within that you can follow. It helps to practice in front of the mirror for some (or without), the general theme being to practice.
With domes, some users prefer to have the retention cord/sports lock in place to give additional security and some prefer without. Speak to your audiologist about the preferred position for you.
With glasses
With glasses
If wearing reading glasses (which may not be worn all the time), get used to the way it feels when inserted correctly with your glasses already in place and practice taking your glasses off and on. Then check the position of the hearing aids and whether they need much adjustment. Not always necessary is one looking into thinner or finer framed glasses to help RIC or BTE aids sit better behind the ears
Never
Never
Pull earmoulds from the ear by the attached cord/tube/receiver wire if fitted. This can lead to damage which could affect the fit and performace of the earmould.
Try to restrict harsh cleaning solvents, hair spray or perfume from coming into direct contact with the earmoulds.
References
References
Brooks, D. N. (1996). The time course of adaptation to hearing aid use. British Journal of Audiology, 30(1), 55–62. https://doi.org/10.3109/03005369609077930
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